Blessings of things designated for sacred purposes

CHAPTER VII: BLESSINGS OF THINGS DESIGNATED FOR SACRED FUNCTIONS OR OTHER SACRED PURPOSES

1. BLESSING OF AN ANTIMENSION*

which by a special Apostolic indult may be used in the celebration of Mass in mission territories, in place of an altar- stone or portable altar

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, March 12, 1947)

*Reserved to a bishop but may be delegated to a priest.

The bishop (or a priest delegated for this), having ascertained the authenticity of the relics of holy martyrs to be used here, encloses them in a tiny sack which is sewn in the right corner of the antimension. Then he blesses the antimension, saying:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, we humbly appeal to your sovereignty, asking that it please you to bless this antimension, made ready by our lowly ministry to receive the offerings of your people. For on it we are to offer the holy Sacrifice to you, to the honor of the blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, and in particular to the honor of Saints N. and N., whose relics we have enclosed therein. Grant that by these sacred mysteries the bonds of our sins be loosed, our stains blotted out, pardon obtained and graces acquired, so that together with your holy elect we may merit the joys of everlasting life through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

He sprinkles it with holy water.

2. CONSECRATION OF A PATEN AND A CHALICE

(From the new Roman Pontifical of 1962)

{The consecration of a paten and of a chalice may be delegated to a priest, who follows the same rite given here for a bishop, omitting, however, the directions that do not pertain to a priest.

The consecration of a paten and chalice may take place on any day and at any convenient place.

The following are prepared: holy chrism and whatever materials are necessary for cleansing and wiping the chalice and paten as well as the bishop's hands. The chalice and paten should be placed on a table covered with a white-linen cloth or on the altar.

If several chalices and patens are to be consecrated the bishop performs the anointings successively on each of them, but he says the orations only once and in the plural form.

The bishop, standing and wearing the rochet, white stole, and gold-embroidered mitre, says:

Celebrant: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

C: Let us pray, my dear brethren, that by the help of God's grace this paten (these patens) may be consecrated and hallowed for the purpose of breaking over it (them) the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered death on the cross for the salvation of us all.

Then, removing the mitre, he says:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who instituted the laws of sacrifice, and ordered among other things that the sprinkled wheaten flour should be carried to the altar on plates of gold and silver; be pleased to bless, hallow, and consecrate this paten (these patens), destined for the administration of the Eucharist of Jesus Christ, your Son, who for our salvation and that of all mankind chose to immolate Himself on the gibbet of the cross to you, God the Father, with whom He lives and reigns, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Having put on the mitre, he dips the thumb of his right hand into the holy chrism, anoints the paten from rim to rim in the form of a cross, and then rubs the holy chrism all over the upper side of the paten, while saying the following formula:

Lord God, may you deign to consecrate and to hallow this paten by this anointing and our blessing, in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then (still standing and wearing the mitre) he proceeds to the blessing of the chalice, saying:

Let us pray, my dear brethren, that our Lord and God, by His heavenly grace and inspiration, may hallow this chalice (these chalices), about to be consecrated for use in His ministry, and that He may add the fulness of His divine favor to the consecration performed by us; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then, removing the mitre, he says:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

O Lord our God, be pleased to bless this chalice (these chalices), made by your devout people for your holy service. Bestow that same blessing which you bestowed on the hallowed chalice of your servant, Melchisedech. And what we cannot make worthy of your altars by our craft and metals, do you nonetheless make worthy by your blessing; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Having put on the mitre, he dips the thumb of his right hand into the holy chrism and anoints each chalice on the inside from rim to rim In the form of a cross, while saying the following formula: Lord God, may it please you to consecrate and to hallow this chalice by this anointing and our blessing, in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then, removing the mitre, he says the following over the chalice and paten (chalices and patens):

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, we beg you to impart to our hands the virtue of your blessing, so that by our blessing this vessel and paten (these vessels and patens) may be hallowed and become, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, a new sepulchre for the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

When the consecration is over a priest cleans the chalice and paten with crumbs of bread and purifies them thoroughly. These cleansing materials are put into the sacrarium.

3. BLESSING OF A TABERNACLE, PYX, CIBORIUM

for reserving the holy Eucharist

{The blessings of the sacred appurtenances or furnishings (sacra supellex) required in sacred worship--vessels, utensils, vestments, linens, and the like--used to be reserved to cardinals, bishops, pastors, priests especially delegated thereto, and religious superiors. Now according to the new "Instruction" of September 26, 1964, any priest may confer them. In view of past interpretation of the Congregation of Sacred Rites, this would apply only to blessings in which no special anointing is required.}

Almighty everlasting God, be pleased to bless and to hallow this vessel made to expose, for the faithful's adoration, the body of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. May all who in this life piously adore your only-begotten Word possess Him in the life to come as their everlasting recompense; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

5. BLESSING OF A RELIQUARY

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, bless this reliquary made to contain the holy remains of your saints; and grant that by the prayers of your saints all who devoutly venerate their relics may obtain pardon for sin and protection from every adversity; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

6. BLESSING OF OIL-STOCKS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Most gracious Lord and Father, hear our prayers, and bless and hallow these vessels prepared for the sacred ministry of your Church; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, by whom all unclean things are made clean, and in whom all things made clean retain their lustre, we humbly implore your sovereign power that these vessels and ornaments offered to you by your servants may be freed from contamination of every unclean spirit, and that by your blessing they remain hallowed for the use and ministry of the holy altar and of your Church; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

7. BLESSING OF SACRED VESSELS

or ornaments in general

This blessing and the following ones, nos. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, are revised in accordance with the new Roman Missal of 1962. The blessing of a purificator is a new one, i.e. not heretofore contained in the liturgical books. And a corporal and a pall are each blessed separately, instead of together as happened formerly.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, by whom all unclean things are made clean, and in whom all things made clean retain their lustre, we humbly implore your sovereign power that these vessels and ornaments offered to you by your servants may be freed from contamination of every unclean spirit, and that by your blessing they remain hallowed for the use and service of the holy altar and of your Church; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

8. BLESSING OF ALTAR-LINENS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, who for forty days instructed Moses, your servant, how to make linens and sacred appointments, which even Mary wove and made for the service of the Old Covenant; be pleased to bless these linens (this linen) made to cover and envelop the altar of your glorious Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

They are (it is) sprinkled with holy water.

9. BLESSING OF A CORPORAL

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Most gracious Lord, whose power is indescribable, and whose mysteries are celebrated with wondrous ceremonies; grant, we pray, that by your kindness this linen may be hallowed by your blessing, and serve for the consecration of the body and blood of your Son, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

10. BLESSING OF A PALL

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, be pleased to bless this pall, which is to be used in covering the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns forever and ever.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

11. BLESSING OF A PURIFICATOR

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Hearken to our prayers, O Lord, and be pleased to bless this linen prepared for use in purifying the sacred chalice; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water

12. BLESSING OF PRIESTLY VESTMENTS

in general

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord,

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who decreed through Moses, your servant, that the vesture of high-priest, priest, and levite, used in fulfilling their ministry in your sight, should be worn to dignify and beautify the worship rendered to your holy name; mercifully heed our prayers, and be pleased, through our lowly ministry, to bless ~ these priestly vestments (this priestly vestment), bedewing them (it) with your grace, so that they (it) become hallowed and suitable for divine worship and the sacred mysteries. Let every bishop, priest, or deacon clothed in these sacred vestments (this sacred vestment) be strengthened and defended from all assault or temptation of wicked spirits; let them perform and celebrate your mysteries reverently and well; and let them always carry out their ministry in a devout and pleasing manner; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are (it is) sprinkled with holy water.

13. BLESSING OF ANY PRIESTLY VESTMENT

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, giver of all good things and bountiful bestower of all graces, we humbly beg you to endow us with the power of your blessing. May it also please you to bless, by the work of the Holy Spirit, this amice (or alb, or cincture, or stole, or maniple, or tunic, or dalmatic, or chasuble, or cope, or humeral veil) made ready for divine worship. Kindly let the grace of your holy mysteries descend on all who are to use it, so that they may appear holy, pure, and blameless in your presence, and may be aided by your mercy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

14. SOLEMN BLESSING OF A CROSS

If a cross is to be exposed for public veneration, it should be solemnly blessed.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, be pleased to bless this cross, that it may be a saving help to mankind. Let it be the support of faith, an encouragement to good works, the redemption of souls; and let it be consolation, protection, and a shield against the cruel darts of the enemy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen. Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, bless this cross by which you snatched the world from Satan's grasp, and on which you overcame by your suffering the tempter to sin, who rejoiced in the first man's fall in eating of the forbidden tree. Here it is sprinkled with holy water. May this cross be hallowed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and may all who kneel and pray before this cross in honor of our Lord find health in body and soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

After this the priest, kneeling before the cross, devoutly venerates and kisses it, and others may do likewise.

15. MORE SOLEMN BLESSING OF A CROSS

At hand are a thurible and holy water. The priest, vested in surplice red stole and cope, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, bless this cross by which you snatched the world from Satan's grasp, and overcame by your suffering the tempter to sin, who rejoiced in the first man's fall in eating of the forbidden tree. We ask this of you who live and reign with God the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

All: Amen. Let us pray.

Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, be pleased, we beg you, to bless this cross, so that it may be a saving help to mankind. Let it be the support of faith, an encouragement to good works, the redemption of souls; and let it be consolation, protection, and a shield against the cruel darts of the enemy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then with hands outstretched before his breast he says the following preface in a moderately loud voice:

P: Forever and ever.

All: Amen.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

P: Lift up your hearts.

All: We have lifted them up to the Lord.

P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is fitting and right to do so.

It is indeed fitting and right, worthy and salutary that we should always and everywhere give thanks to you, O holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God; for among your visible creatures even fruitful trees never cease to praise and bless your holy and awesome name. In figure of your only-begotten Wisdom you beautified in the beginning the Garden of Eden with the tree of life, and by its fruit, as by a holy sign, you admonished our first parents to beware of death and to seek everlasting life. Condemned as we were to a just death by the touch of the forbidden tree, you mercifully recalled us from death to life by the selfsame co-eternal Wisdom, Jesus Christ, our Lord and God. Therefore, we your suppliants pray that you may hallow with a blessing from on high this singular sign, wrought and raised up for the faithful's devotion in remembrance of that first holy standard on which you conquered by the precious blood of your Son. May all who kneel before it, imploring your sovereignty, experience true compunction and obtain forgiveness of their transgressions; and by the merits of the victorious suffering and death of your only-begotten Son may they seek only what pleases you, and speedily obtain what they request. Grant, we pray, O most loving Father in whom we live, and move, and have our being, that as often as we gaze upon and call to mind the triumphant sign of your divine humility, which crushed the pride of our foe, we may be filled with hope and be strengthened against the wiles of that same foe, and receive greater grace to live humbly and devoutly in your sight. And on that dreadful judgment day, when you will appear in majesty, when the elements shall quake and the powers of heaven be moved, and this glorified sign of our redemption shall appear in the heavens, may we pass from death to life, and deserve to see the everlasting joys of a blessed resurrection. What follows is said in a subdued tone, loud enough, however, to be heard by the bystanders: Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen. Let us pray.

God, who by the gibbet of the holy cross, a onetime instrument of punishment for criminals, restored life to the redeemed, grant that your faithful people may find in it a strong support, who see in it their standard of battle. Let the cross be for them a foundation of faith, a pillar of hope, a safeguard in adversity, an aid in prosperity; let it be victory amid enemies, a guard in cities, a shield in the country, a prop in their homes. By it may the Good Shepherd keep His flock unharmed, for on it did the Lamb who has conquered win our salvation; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then incense in a boat is brought before the priest, who blesses it saying:

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, before whom the host of angels stands in awe, and renders you a spiritual service glowing with love, be pleased to look with favor on this creature, incense, to bless and to hallow it. May all weakness, all infirmity, and all assaults of the enemy, sensing its fragrance, flee and be kept far from your creature, man, that he, whom you redeemed by the precious blood of your Son, may never again suffer from the sting of the ancient serpent; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

After this the priest puts incense into the thurible, and then sprinkles the cross with holy water and incenses it.

If the cross is made of wood he adds the prayer indicated by 1; if of metal or stone, the prayer indicated by 2:

(1): May this wood be sanctified, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And may the blessing of this wood, on which were hung the sacred members of our Savior, remain ever in it, so that all who kneel in prayer before this cross in God's honor may have health in body and soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then the priest, kneeling before the cross, devoutly venerates it and kisses it, and others who wish may do likewise.

(2): God of glory, God of hosts, the mighty Emmanuel, God, Father of truth, Father of wisdom, Father of holiness. Father, you enlighten us and keep watch over us. You rule the world and reign over all kingdoms. You are the giver of all grace and the dispenser of all gifts. All nations, peoples, tribes, and tongues serve you. All legions of angels minister before you. You bestow on your servants the power to believe and to praise your name, enabling them to offer due worship to you. You desire first of all faith in those who offer sacrifice to you, even before the gift is sacrificed. We appeal, then, to your tender-hearted mercy, asking that you hallow and consecrate this cross made by your servants in a spirit of total faith and devotion, to serve as a reminder of your victory and our redemption, a victorious and glorious sign of Christ's love. Behold this unconquerable sign of the cross by which diabolical power was destroyed and human liberty restored, which once was a symbol of shame, but now by your grace has been turned into a symbol of honor; which once punished the guilty with death, but now absolves criminals from their debt. And how can it please you, except that by it you were pleased to redeem us? And now no gift can any longer give you due honor except that which onetime had the sacred body nailed to it; nor can any offering please you more than that which onetime was made holy by your arms outstretched on it. Therefore, accept this cross with those hands that once embraced the first cross, and by the holiness of that cross make holy this one. And as the world's guilt was expiated by that cross, so may your servants merit deliverance from sin by this one, as they honor it in praise of you. Under the protection of the true cross may they advance step by step as victors. Here on the cross may the splendor of your only-begotten Son, our Lord, sparkle in the gold of your glance; may the renown of His death on the wood shine out; may our redemption from death, the purification of our life, be reflected in the effulgent crystal of the cross. Let the cross be a safeguard and assurance to its followers; let it unite them in faith with the people of all nations, bringing them together in peace and in hope, advancing them in victories, increasing their good fortunes, helping them for all time to advance toward everlasting life, thus assuring their happiness in this life, and leading them by its mighty power to the glory of the heavenly kingdom. May you grant this by the appeasing blood of your Son, by Him who is the giver of all gifts, who gave Himself for the redemption of many, who offered Himself as a holocaust for sin, who in being exalted on the wood of the cross humbled the principalities and powers, who with you, in the undivided unity of the Holy Spirit, sits on the heavenly throne forevermore.

All: Amen.

Then the priest, kneeling before the cross, devoutly venerates and kisses it, and others who wish may do likewise.

16. SOLEMN BLESSING OF AN IMAGE

of our Lord Jesus Christ, the blessed Virgin Mary, or any saint

If such images are exposed for public veneration they should be solemnly blessed.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P. The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who do not forbid us to carve or paint likenesses of your saints, in order that whenever we look at them with our bodily eyes we may call to mind their holy lives, and resolve to follow in their footsteps; may it please you to bless and to hallow this statue (or picture), which has been made in memory and honor of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (or the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ), (or blessed N., your apostle, or martyr, or pontiff, or confessor, or virgin). And grant that all who in its presence pay devout homage to your only-begotten Son (or the blessed Virgin, or the glorious apostle, or martyr, or pontiff, or confessor, or virgin) may by His (or his or her) merits (and intercession) obtain your grace in this life and everlasting glory in the life to come; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The image is sprinkled with holy water.

17. BLESSING OF A CLERICAL CASSOCK

A candidate for holy orders, who has obtained permission to wear the clerical cassock, may wish to have this garment blessed. The clerical aspirant, holding the cassock folded over his outstretched arms, kneels before the priest.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who condescended to clothe yourself in our mortal nature, we beg you in your boundless goodness to bless this cassock which the holy fathers have sanctioned as the garb for clerics, in token of the innocence and humility which should be theirs. Laying aside the vanity of secular garb, may these servants (this servant) of yours, who are (is) to wear the cassock, likewise put on you, and be recognized as men (a man) dedicated to your service. We ask this of you who are God, living and reigning forever and ever.

All: Amen.

The cassock is sprinkled with holy water.

18. BLESSING OF A CINCTURE

to be worn in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who willed, in redeeming your servant, that your Son should be bound by impious hands, we beg you to bless this cincture; and grant that your servant, who is to wear it as a reminder of bodily mortification, may always venerate the bonds of our Lord Jesus Christ, and may acknowledge that he (she) is bound to your service; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

19. BLESSING OF A CINCTURE

to be worn in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary or a canonized saint

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, we beg you to bless this cincture; and grant that he (she) who is to wear it may, by the help and protection of the blessed Virgin Mary, your mother, (or of St. N.), be shielded from every danger and obtain health of body and soul. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

20. BLESSING OF A HABIT

to be worn in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, bless this habit which is to be worn in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary, and under her patronage; and grant that he (she) who is to wear it may obtain health in body and protection in soul; through Christ our Lord

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

21. BLESSING OF A HABIT

to be worn in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary or a canonized saint

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who in becoming man for our salvation deigned to assume our vesture of flesh, bless this habit with a holy benediction, for your servant is to wear it in thanksgiving to you and in veneration of the blessed Virgin Mary (or of St. N.). Pour out on him (her), we pray, your holy blessing, so that when he (she) first puts on this garb, which is like that of a religious, he (she) may obtain, through the prayers of the blessed Virgin Mary (or of St. N.), your grace to protect him (her) from every evil of mind or body. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

22. BLESSING OF A CINCTURE

to be worn in honor of St. Joseph, spouse of our Lady

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Sept. 19, 1859)

The priest, vested in surplice and white stole, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who inculcated the counsel and love of virginity, and gave the precept of chastity, we appeal to your kindness, asking that you bless and hallow this cincture as a token of purity. Let all who gird themselves with it as a safeguard of chastity be enabled, by the prayers of St. Joseph, spouse of your holy Mother, to practice that continence which is so pleasing to you, and to live in obedience to your commandments. May they also obtain pardon of their sins, health in mind and body, and finally attain everlasting life. We ask this of you who live and reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen. Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, grant, we pray, that those who revere the inviolate virginity of the most pure Virgin Mary and of Joseph, her spouse, may by their prayers be pure in mind and body; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen. Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God. who committed the boy Jesus and the most pure Mary, ever a Virgin, to the care of the chaste man Joseph, we humbly entreat you that those who are girded with this cincture in honor of St. Joseph and under his patronage may, by your help and his prayers, persevere in holy chastity for all time; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen. Let us pray.

God, the lover and restorer of innocence, we pray that your faithful who are to wear this cincture may, by the prayers of St. Joseph, spouse of your holy Mother, have their loins girded and hold burning lamps in their hands, and thus be likened to men who wait for their Lord when He shall return for a wedding, that when He comes and knocks they may open to Him, and be found worthy of being taken into everlasting joys; through you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then the priest puts incense into the censer, sprinkles the cincture with holy water, saying:

Sprinkle me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

After this he incenses the cincture, and then continues:

P: Save your servants.

All: Who trust in you, my God.

P: Lord, send them aid from your holy place.

All: And watch over them from Sion.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

O God of mercy, God of goodness, who are pleased with all good things, and without whom no good work is begun, no good work is finished; kindly hear our prayers, and defend your faithful, who are to wear this blessed cincture in honor of St. Joseph and under his protection, from the pit-falls of this world and all its lusts. Help them to persist in their holy resolution and to obtain pardon of their sins, and thus merit to be numbered among your elect; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

23. BLESSING OF LILIES

on the feast of St. Anthony of Padua

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Feb. 26, 1901)

The priest vests in surplice and white stole, and says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, the Creator and preserver of the human race, the lover of holy purity, the giver of supernatural grace, and the dispenser of everlasting salvation; bless these lilies which we, your humble servants, present to you today as an act of thanksgiving and in honor of St. Anthony, your confessor, and with a request for your blessing. Pour out on them, by the saving sign of the holy cross, your dew from on high. You in your great kindness have given them to man, and endowed them with a sweet fragrance to lighten the burden of the sick. Therefore, let them be filled with such power that, whether they are used by the sick, or kept in homes or other places, or devoutly carried on one's person, they may serve to drive out evil spirits, safeguard holy chastity, and turn away illness--all this through the prayers of St. Anthony--and finally impart to your servants grace and peace; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then he sprinkles the lilies with holy water, saying:

Sprinkle me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

P: Pray for us, St. Anthony.

All: That we may be worthy of Christ's promise.

Let us pray.

We beg you, O Lord, that your people may be helped by the constant and devout intercession of Blessed Anthony, your illustrious confessor. May he assist us to be worthy of your grace in this life, and to attain everlasting joys in the life to come; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

After this the lilies are distributed to the people.

24. BLESSING OF A PROCESSIONAL BANNER

of any society

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, whose Church is like a well ordered battle- array, bless this banner; and grant that all who fight under this standard for your sake, O Lord God, may by the prayers of St. N. overcome their visible and invisible enemies in this life, and after this victory come as conquerors to the kingdom of heaven. We ask this through you, Jesus Christ, who live and reign with God the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

25. BLESSING OF CANDLES

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, bless these candles at our lowly request. Endow them, Lord, by the power of the holy cross, with a blessing from on high, you who gave them to mankind in order to dispel darkness. Let the blessing that they receive from the sign of the holy cross be so effectual that, wherever they are lighted or placed, the princes of darkness may depart in trembling from all these places, and flee in fear, along with all their legions, and never more dare to disturb or molest those who serve you, the almighty God, who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

26. BLESSING OF A CHURCH ORGAN

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 150

P: Praise the Lord in His sanctuary, * praise Him in the firmament of His strength.

All: Praise Him for His mighty deeds, * praise Him for His sovereign majesty.

P: Praise Him with the blast of the trumpet, * praise Him with lyre and harp,

All: Praise Him with timbrel and dance, * praise Him with strings and pipe.

P: Praise Him with sounding cymbals, praise Him with clanging cymbals. * Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

P: Praise Him with timbrel and dance.

All: Praise Him with strings and pipes.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who by Moses, your servant, ordered the sound of trumpets to accompany the sacrifices offered to your name, and willed that the children of Israel sing praise to your name with trumpets and timbrels; we beg you to bless this organ which we dedicate to your service. And grant that your faithful who are gladdened with holy songs here on earth may attain everlasting gladness in heaven; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

27. BLESSING OF A CHURCH BELL

designated for a church that is merely blessed or for an oratory*

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Jan. 22, 1908)

* Reserved to the Ordinary or to a priest delegated by him. There is a consecration of bells destined for a consecrated church in the Roman Pontifical.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 50

(for this psalm see p. 325)

Psalm 53

P: God, by your name save me, * and by your might defend my cause.

All: God, hear my prayer; * hearken to the words of my mouth.

P: For haughty men have risen up against me, and fierce men seek my life; * they set not God before their eyes.

All: I will give thanks to you among the peoples, Lord, * I will chant your praise among the nations.

P: For your kindness towers to the heavens, * and your faithfulness to the skies.

All: Be exalted above the heavens, O God; * above all the earth be your glory!

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

Psalm 66

(for this psalm see p. 428)

Psalm 69

(for this psalm see p. 333)

Psalm 85

(for this psalm see p. 224)

Psalm 129

(for this psalm see p. 328)

P: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: Blessed be the name of the Lord.

All: Both now and forevermore.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who decreed through blessed Moses, your servant and lawgiver, that silver trumpets should be made and be sounded at the time of sacrifice, in order to remind the people by their clear tones to prepare for your worship and to assemble for its celebration. Grant, we pray, that this bell, destined for your holy Church, may be hallowed by the Holy Spirit through our lowly ministry, so that when it is tolled and rung the faithful may be invited to the house of God and to the everlasting recompense. Let the people's faith and piety wax stronger whenever they hear its melodious peals. At its sound let all evil spirits be driven afar; let thunder and lightning, hail and storm be banished; let the power of your hand put down the evil powers of the air, causing them to tremble at the sound of this bell, and to flee at the sight of the holy cross engraved thereon. May our Lord Himself grant this, who overcame death on the gibbet of the cross, and who now reigns in the glory of God the Father, in the unity of the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

The priest puts incense into the thurible, and sprinkles the bell with holy water while walking around it. While he does so the choir sings the Asperges (see p. 398). Then he incenses it, again walking around it, as the choir sings the following antiphon (for the music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: Lord, let my prayer come like incense before you.

Then the celebrant continues:

Let us pray.

O Christ, the almighty ruler, as you once calmed the storm at sea when awakened in the boat from the sleep of your human nature, so now come with your benign help to the needs of your people, and pour out on this bell the dew of the Holy Spirit. Whenever it rings may the enemy of the good take flight, the Christian people hear the call to faith, the empire of Satan be terrified, your people be strengthened as they are called together in the Lord, and may the Holy Spirit be with them as He delighted to be with David when he played his harp. And as onetime thunder in the air frightened away a throng of enemies, while Samuel slew an unweaned lamb as a holocaust to the eternal King, so when the peal of this bell resounds in the clouds may a legion of angels stand watch over the assembly of your Church, the first-fruits of the faithful, and afford your ever-abiding protection to them in body and spirit. We ask this through you, Jesus Christ, who live and reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

P: To the honor of St. N.

All: Amen.

Lastly the priest signs the blessed bell with the sign of the cross, and departs with his assistants.

If this blessing of a bell has to do with consecrated churches, due care must be taken that it is bestowed by a bishop or by a priest having the apostolic indult, and the rite used is that given in the Roman Pontifical.

28. RITE FOR ERECTING STATIONS OF THE CROSS

{This rite was formerly reserved to the Order of Friars Minor, but for some time bishops have been empowered to delegate it to their own priests. Now, by the "Motu Proprio" of Paul VI, dated November 30, 1963 (see "Ephemerides Liturgicae" 78 [1964] 2), the privilege has been extended, and bishops may give priests the faculty to erect the stations of the cross, with all indulgences. And more recently, by virtue of the "Instruction" of September 26, 1964, it is no longer reserved to the Friars Minor but only to bishops.}

The priest who has this faculty vests in surplice and purple stole. He should be assisted by at least one cleric, who at the times designated hands him the aspersory and the thurible. First the priest goes up to the altar predella and addresses the people briefly on the excellence and value of the devotion of the Way of the Cross. After this he kneels on the lowest step of the altar and intones the "Veni Creator," which is continued by the choir (see p. 316). When the hymn is finished he says:

P: Send forth your Spirit and all things shall be recreated.

All: And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

God, who instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, guide us by your Spirit to desire only what is good and so always to find joy in His comfort.

Lord, we beg you to protect this people from every adversity, by the intercession of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin; and as they bow down fervently before you shield them by your benevolence from all wiles of the enemy.

We beg you, Lord, let a breath of your grace prompt our undertakings and guide them along their course, so that our least prayer and work may begin in you and end in you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then if the paintings or images of the stations are right at hand (and not already hung in their place) the priest blesses them as follows:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who do not forbid us to carve or paint likenesses of your saints, in order that whenever we look at them with our bodily eyes we may call to mind their holy lives, and resolve to follow in their footsteps; may it please you to bless and to hallow these images, which have been made in memory and honor of your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And grant that all who in their presence pay devout homage to your only begotten Son may by His merits and primacy obtain your grace in this life and everlasting glory in the life to come; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

The priest sprinkles them with holy water and incenses them. In a private oratory the incensation may be omitted.

Next the priest blesses the fourteen crosses which must be made of wood.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, we beg that it may please you to bless these crosses, so that they may be saving helps to mankind. Let them be the support of faith, an encouragement to good works, the redemption of souls; and let them be consolation, protection, and shields against the cruel darts of the enemy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen. Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, bless these crosses, for by your holy cross you snatched the world from Satan's grasp, and overcame by your suffering the tempter to sin, who rejoiced in the first man's fall in eating of the forbidden tree.

Then the priest sprinkles them with holy water, saying:

May these crosses be hallowed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; so that all who kneel in prayer before these crosses in our Lord's honor may have health in body and soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

If there is a procession the following hymns are sung (for the music of these two hymns see the music supplement):

Hymn: Vexilla Regis

Abroad the regal banners fly,

Now shines the cross's mystery;

Upon it Life did death endure,

And yet by death did life procure.

Who, wounded with a direful spear,

Did, purposely to wash us clear

From stain of sin, pour out a flood

Of precious water mixed with blood.

That which the prophet-king of old

Has in mysterious verse foretold,

Is now accomplished, while we see

God ruling nations from a tree.

O lovely and refulgent tree,

Adorned with purpled majesty;

Culled from a worthy stock to bear

Those limbs which sanctified were.

Blest tree, whose happy branches bore

The wealth that did the world restore;

The beam that did that body weigh

Which raised up hell's expected prey.

Hail, cross, of hopes the most sublime!

Now in this mournful passion time, *

Improve religious souls in grace.

The sins of criminals efface.

Blest Trinity, salvation's spring,

May every soul your praises sing;

To those you grant a conquest by

The holy cross, rewards apply. Amen.

* Outside of passiontime this line reads: "Now in your glorious

reign in time." In paschaltime it reads: "Which bears the joys of

paschaltime."

Hymn: Stabat Mater

At the cross her station keeping,

Stood the mournful Mother weeping,

Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrows sharing,

All His bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed

Was that Mother highly blest

Of the sole-begotten One.

Christ above in torment hangs;

She beneath beholds the pangs

Of her dying glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,

Whelmed in miseries so deep

Christ's dear Mother to behold?

Can the human heart refrain

From partaking in her pain,

In that Mother's pain untold?

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,

She beheld her tender child

All with bloody scourges rent.

For the sins of His own nation,

Saw Him hang in desolation,

Till his spirit forth He sent.

O you Mother, fount of love!

Touch my spirit from above,

Make my heart with yours accord.

Make me feel as you have felt,

Make my soul to glow and melt

With the love of Christ my Lord. Amen.

P: We adore you, Christ, and we bless you.

All: For by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Let us pray.

God, who by the illustrious suffering of your Son taught us to arrive at everlasting glory by the way of the cross, grant that we, who devoutly unite ourselves with Him on Calvary, may reign triumphantly with Him in glory. We ask this of Him who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

The priest goes to the place of the first station, where he kisses the cross and then hangs it in place, either himself or with the help of a layman who is properly clothed for this service. He then reads the meditation and prayers proper to this station; and the same is done at the other stations. After this the Te Deum is sung along with its versicles and oration.

Lastly the priest blesses the people with a crucifix.

The fastening of the stations to the walls may be done privately by anyone and without ceremony, either before or after the blessing by the priest.

Following is an example of the formal testimonial that the stations of the cross were erected in a given place:

By virtue of the faculty granted me, I, N. N. erected the Way of the Cross with its annexed indulgences in the place named above in the delegation, in accord with the rules prescribed by the Congregation of Sacred Indulgences on May 10, 1742. In testimony of which I have affixed my signature on this day, etc.